Boats are usually propelled by a propeller attached to a drive shaft extending through the boat hull to an engine inside the boat. In order to have a direct drive from the engine to the propeller the engine is tipped at an angle or the stern angled upwardly below the water level so the propeller and shaft can be reasonably close to horizontal and at the same time be below the lowest part of the hull. In smaller boats there has also been the problem of entangling the propeller in plants growing below the water level. One solution to this problem has been to enclose the propeller in a tube which diverts the plants away from the propeller. The drive for such enclosed propellers has been somewhat complicated and such systems have not become popular. This invention provides an improved system which permits horizontal positioning of the engine, a high speed drive system, and excellent lubrication for the drive.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved propeller drive system for boats. It is another object of this invention to provide such a system with the drive components totally submerged in lubricant. Still other objects will become apparent from the more detailed description which follows.